EZ Drill – The Answer To Concrete Doweling
Doweling concrete, inserting steel bars called “dowel bars” into a concrete joint, typically at the mid-depth of the slab, to allow for load transfer between adjacent concrete slabs while still allowing for slight movement due to temperature changes; this is achieved by coating the dowel bars with a debonding agent to prevent them from fully bonding with the concrete, ensuring proper function and minimizing cracking at the joint. Standard methods are using a hammer drill with the correct drill bit or using speed/slip dowels for new pours. Using an EZ Drill allows for mass doweling to be completed in a timely manner.
How fast does it drill? How long will bits last?
Speed and bit life depend on several factors, including the type of aggregate, age of the concrete, type and sharpness of the bit and the amount of steel or rebar in the concrete. Generally, you can expect to drill between 150 and 250 holes with each bit. The chart below shows the drilling times achieved with an E-Z Drill 210B SRA system equipped with a Chicago Pneumatic 32 rock drill.
This chart is for reference only, actual drill times may vary.
| 5/8 in. (15.9 mm) |
16 in. (40.6 mm) |
18–20 |
Texas |
| 3/4 in. (19.1 mm) |
12 in. (30.5 mm) |
25–28 |
Texas |
| 3/4 in. (19.1 mm) |
6 in. (15.2 mm) |
15 |
Michigan |
| 7/8 in. (22.2 mm) |
9 in. (22.9 mm) |
15 |
Texas |
| 1 in. (25.4 mm) |
9 in. (22.9 mm) |
18-20 |
Florida |
| 1 1/8 in. (28.6 mm) |
10 in. (25.4 mm) |
21–23 |
Oklahoma |
| 1 1/4 in. (31.8 mm) |
9 1/2 in. (24.1 mm) |
30-33 |
Pennsylvania |
| 1 3/8 in. (34.9 mm) |
9 1/2 in. (24.1 mm) |
21-24 |
Pennsylvania |
| 1 3/8 in. (34.9 mm) |
10 in. (25.4 mm) |
24-26 |
Arkansas |
| 1 3/8 in. (34.9 mm) |
10 in. (25.4 mm) |
18-20 |
Kansas |
| 1 3/8 in. (34.9 mm) |
10 in. (25.4 mm) |
26 |
California |
| 1 3/8 in. (34.9 mm) |
10 in. (25.4 mm) |
20-22 |
Indiana |
| 1 1/2 in. (38.1 mm) |
9 in. (22.9 mm) |
28-20 |
Illinois |
| 1 5/8 in. (41.3 mm) |
15 in. (38.1 mm) |
48-52 |
Georgia |
| 1 5/8 in. (41.3 mm) |
9 in. (22.9 mm) |
24-26 |
Oklahoma |
| 1 3/4 in. (44.5 mm) |
10 in. (25.4 mm) |
33-35 |
Arizona |
Colorado Concrete Solutions – Our Experience
One employee on average using a corded 18V rotary hammer drill can take between 5-20 minutes depending on the size of the hole and depth required. EZ Drills come in various models with 1 to 5 drill bits that can simultaneously drill. To add to the models they have one that sits on the existing grade that drills directly in front of the unit, or a slab rider that rolls on top of the existing pavement with an arm that allows drilling underneath the unit. Colorado Concrete Solutions uses a 210B SRA slab rider, which you can stitch or drill horizontally, vertically or at an angle with exceptional accuracy and no disturbance to the subgrade. The unit can drill 5/8- to 2-1/2-inch-diameter holes to 18-inch depths, and it has an auto-alignment feature that tracks the hole placement level for fast and easy repositioning. A roller bearing feed system provides friction-free drilling for longer wear life, less maintenance and minimized downtime. In our own experience we are able to drill a hole for a #5 rebar that goes 15″ deep in about 20 seconds. The EZ drill then quickly rolls along the slab and is ready to drill the next dowel within seconds.
For this particular model of EZ Drill we have an added Dust Collection System that is integrated with the unit itself to minimize dust with this totally pneumatic system. For our particular setup we use a 185 CFM Doosan Air Compressor. The dust collection system is crucial when operating as during the doweling it can generate respirable crystalline silica dust from existing concrete. When inhaled over time, the small particles of silica can irreversibly damage the lungs. We recommend always using a method to control the dust of silica and have employees wear proper PPE.
SINGLE GANG CONCRETE DRILLS
E-Z Drill’s single gang dowel pin drills are an effective solution for projects ranging in size from several hundred to a few thousand holes. Available as on-grade or slab rider units, the drills are ideal for a variety of tasks including lane additions on highways, airports or bridges, full depth concrete road repair and any application where drilling into concrete is required. These dowel pin drills are pneumatically driven and can easily drill up to 18 inches deep and are compact enough to drill within 6 inches from a corner. For added versatility, the single gang slab riders are ideal for stitching applications and skew drilling. It also adjusts easily to vertical drilling.
For more information on EZ Drills please see their website with the link below:
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